the union general in charge of a the army that marched in, a man named godfrey whitesell, he andn his staff took up position on e the capital and looked down on o crater of firekind of a people pointient moment because his don wife died of burns ju s just mo before and wonder fundament eera were being burned down below as he looked at the fires. weren't of the confederate women who observed the fire said that the sunou, which was well up ine the sky now, a couple hours after dawn as the fire really intensified, she said the sun shown through smoke like a great beacon of woe, or the awful unlashed eye of an avengen deity.y.she the confederate arsenal began ti burn, ghtoo.a artillery shells began to explode making it difficult for people to fight thei fire. one confederate direst observedc noted, that, interesting, all the banks burned and all moneychang moneychangers. actual think was, began from the highest levels of the confederate high command, because they had their orders wh not to leave anything of f military value, and the order came down the chain of command to the men who lit